The Lost Majority

by Michael Ashcroft

The 2017 general election was supposed to be a walkover for the Conservative Party - but the voters had other ideas. In The Lost Majority, Lord Ashcroft draws on his unique research to explain why the thumping victory the Tories expected never happened. His findings reveal what real voters made of the campaign, why Britain refused Theresa May's appeal for a clear mandate to negotiate Brexit and where the party now stands after more than a decade of `modernisation' . And, critically, Ashcroft examines the challenges the Tories face in building a winning coalition when 13 million votes is no longer enough for outright victory. This is an indispensible guide that will provide food for thought to anyone wishing to examine in detail what really happened on 8 June, 2017, and how this will impact on future elections.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics

132 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2018

About the author

Michael Anthony P. Ashcroft, Baron Ashcroft, KCMG, PC is an English–Belizean businessman and politician. He is a former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. Ashcroft founded Michael A. Ashcroft Associates in 1972 and is the 95th richest person in the UK, as ranked by the Sunday Times Rich List 2017, with an estimated fortune of £1.35 billion.

Reviews

[chucklesthescot · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm very much a political animal so I love looking at analysis of general election voting and the reasons behind a win or a loss. I vividly remember being shocked and unconvinced by May's early call but I did expect her to win, based on her huge lead in the polls. But as I watched the campaign unfold I grew irritated by her mantra of 'strong and stable', the way she seemed unwilling to dare go outside in case she bumped into a real voter-and the unpopular policies she announced then U-turned on. It was a shambles of a campaign that cost her the majority she had been looking to increase and allowed a following two years of Remainer MPs blocking Brexit and messing up everything. It was interesting to hear what the interviewed voters said and see the voting statistics. I like the author's work and intend to read more by him in the future.

[P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid summary of polling data. Cool analysis. No drama but still quite interesting.